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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ground — a position
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. court — for sport
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bore — to drill
  7. court — of law
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ground — the earth
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mate — to breed
  18. court — of a king
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ball — a dance
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. foot — a measure

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com